The morning arrives slowly and without mercy.
My head feels heavy, the dull echo of last night’s drinks still pulsing somewhere behind my eyes. I stay in bed longer than I should, wrapped in that hazy space where sleep has ended but the day hasn’t fully begun.
Eventually I stretch and reach for my phone.
Water helps. A shower helps more. By the time I’m dressed, the world feels steadier, though my body still carries that fragile, slightly unbalanced feeling of recovery.
That’s when my phone buzzes.
I glance down.
No greeting.
No explanation.
Just an address.
And a time.
Across town.
I stare at the message longer than necessary. I know exactly who it’s from.
And I know why.
The sensible thought appears immediately: This is probably not a good idea.
I’m tired. My head still aches faintly. It would be easy to stay where I am, ignore the message, let the day pass quietly.
But curiosity has always been stronger than caution.
Before long I find myself on my way, the city moving around me while my thoughts circle the same quiet question.
When I arrive, the house looks almost too ordinary. Quiet. Still.
Then I noticed the window.
Low, near the ground, one of those basement windows set just above the foundation. And there, partially hidden in the dim light inside, is a figure.
The sight sends a spark through me that cuts straight through the slow heaviness of the morning. My pulse shifts immediately, quickening in that familiar way.
I step inside.
The house smells faintly of perfume and old wood, warm, slightly sweet, like something that has settled into the walls over time. The hallway is dim and quiet, the air still.
My footsteps echo softly as I move forward, already knowing where to go.
The stairs are directly on the right side of the hallway.
I descend slowly, each step sharpening that rising sense of anticipation. By the time I reach the bottom, the fragile fog of the morning has completely disappeared, replaced by something far more electric.
At the bottom of the stairs, I turn.
The space opens up in front of me, dim and waiting, and excitement settles deep in my chest.
Simple. Clear.
And as I step forward to follow them, the tension tightens into something unmistakable.
There they are ready to be used by me.
Whatever happens next has already begun.